Method for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10809713-B2
Application number	US-201815917394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 10, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a memory, a sensor unit, a camera, a moving unit, and a processor. The sensor unit is configured to sense the unmanned aerial vehicle or a surrounding object. The camera configured to take an image. The moving unit configured to generate power to move the unmanned aerial vehicle. The processor is configured to determine whether a user makes contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The processor is also configured to control the moving unit to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at a second location when the unmanned aerial vehicle is moved from a first location to the second location by an external force of a predetermined magnitude or greater while the contact is maintained.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a memory;
a sensor unit configured to sense a movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
a camera;
a moving unit configured to move the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
a processor operably connected to the memory, the sensor unit, the camera and the moving unit, wherein the processor is configured to:
control the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at a first location using the moving unit,
while controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at the first location, determine whether a user makes contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle,
identify an external force moving the unmanned aerial vehicle from the first location to a second location while a contact of the user is maintained,
control, using the moving unit, the unmanned aerial vehicle to return to the first location when an acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the external force is greater than a specific range, and
control, using the moving unit, the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at the second location when the acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the external force is within the specific range.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the contact is made for a specified period of time or more when the unmanned aerial vehicle hovers at the first location.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the contact is made when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a flight standby state at the first location.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily stop an output of the moving unit or to maintain the output at a specified value or lower while the unmanned aerial vehicle is moving from the first location to the second location.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily set an output of the moving unit to a higher value when the contact is removed at the second location.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit includes at least one of a touch sensor, a grip sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, an inertial sensor, or a microphone.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute a specified function when the unmanned aerial vehicle hovers at the second location.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the specified function includes at least one of a function of taking an image using the camera, a speech recognition function, an object targeting function, or an object follow function.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the moving unit to move the unmanned aerial vehicle to the first location or a third location after the specified function is executed.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to stop an output of the moving unit or to decrease the output to a specified value or lower when a tilt of the unmanned aerial vehicle is changed by a specified angle or more.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the moving unit to move the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to a specified gesture of the user when the specified gesture of the user is recognized through the camera.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the moving unit to land the unmanned aerial vehicle on a palm of the user when the specified gesture is an action of unfolding the palm.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to recognize the contact by using a grip sensor mounted on an outer housing of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the grip sensor is mounted on an upper surface of the outer housing or in an area adjacent to an edge of the outer housing.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to output a user notification when the unmanned aerial vehicle stops at the second location for a specified period of time or more.

16. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
controlling, the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at a first location;
while hovering at the first location, determining, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, whether a physical contact is made with the unmanned aerial vehicle by a user;
in response to determining that the physical contact is made, identify an external force moving the unmanned aerial vehicle from the first location to a second location while the physical contact is maintained;
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to return to the first location when an acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the external force is greater than a specific range; and
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at the second location when the acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the external force is within the specific range.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the determining of whether the physical contact is made includes:
temporarily stopping an output of a moving unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle or maintaining the output at a specified value or lower.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Chan Woo
• Namgoong Bo Ram
• Park Ji Hyun
• Yu Seung Hyuk
• Lee Kyung Hee
• Lee Gwang Hui
• Lee Dong Kyu
• Lee Sang Hyun
• Lee Ju Yeong

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• B64U30/26

  Ducted or shrouded rotors · CPC title